Amy Eicholtz '13

Human Services

"From day one, I knew I wanted to work with children. However, during my education at YCP and internship, I grew passionate about working with, and supporting, families, especially during times of crisis."

Turning her desire to help children and their families into a career was Amy Eicholtz's main objective when she graduated from YCP. Majoring in Behavioral Science with a concentration in Human Services, Eicholtz was equipped with the knowledge and experience she needed to easily accomplish that goal. As a senior, Eicholtz had been able to apply her classroom knowledge toward a successful internship with Family Child Resources (FCR).

During that time, Eicholtz acted as a special instructor who provided Early Intervention services to young children with developmental delays. Impressed by her academic background and internship experience, Early Intervention Specialists, Inc., hired Eicholtz as a special instructor soon after her graduation from YCP. Her three years in that position were a time of great personal and professional growth. Eicholtz explained, "At first, it was very difficult to work with families that came from different backgrounds and cultures and who had different norms and values than I did. However, over time I was able to break these barriers." Eicholtz recently decided to move on to a new challenge and is now working for Bethany Christian Services as an outreach coordinator.

In that role, she strives to implement and expand Safe Families for Children (SFFC), a network of volunteers from churches that provide safe, loving homes for children while their parents are going through a temporary crisis. Energized by her new position, Eicholtz is determined to make a significant impact on the York community. She said, "My plan is to spread the movement of Safe Families all throughout York County so we are able to help as many families as we possibly can."